Canada to Launch Asteroid-Tracking Satellite

Developed for just $11 million

The Canadian Space Agency will launch the first satellite specifically designed to monitor near-Earth asteroids next month. William Harvey, the CSA's project manager, said that the system, dubbed NEOSSat, would provide advance warning about possibly dangerous asteroid impacts.

"It's an ever-growing problem," said Harvey in an interview with Yahoo!. "The more we send out, the more traffic there is, the more need for situational awareness. Just like you have on the road, you want to make sure your lanes are clear and things are going in the right direction."

NEOSSat has garnered interest as much for its tiny $11 million budget as for its groundbreaking mission. The satellite is slated to launch from India next week.